Julian of Norwich (Fianal Draft)

This is what my professor is getting. I hope he likes it.


21 September 2008
Mysticism:
Matt Branstetter
Julian of Norwich:
Amanda Cunningham

Mysticism is the belief that you can transcend the physicality of being in order to reach enlightenment with God. One of the most well known mystics of all time is known as Julian of Norwich. She was alive during the fourteenth century and is considered to have been the greatest English mystic ever. Here I will give you a brief biographical account of Julian, share some of her mystical experiences, and explore the impact she has had on me personally.
Julian’s greatest accomplishment was to write a book that is entitled The Revelations of Divine Love. As well as being an important contribution to the history of mysticism, it is also is considered to be the first English book written by a woman, and is available in two volumes. The first volume was written within weeks of the experience and is the more personal depiction of her experience with God. The second volume was written some twenty years later and provides a more descriptive and thought out portrayal of her Revelations.

Julian was born in 1342 and was most likely educated at a school for girls run by Benedictine nuns, as was customary of the time. Not much else is known about Julian due to lack of historical records, but we can make a lot of assumptions regarding her history. We do know that her name comes from the St. Julian church where she lived as an anchoress. There she would have spent her time praying, fasting, meditating, and mostly alone. We can assume that since she was named as a beneficiary in the wills of some of the Norwichian community members that she also did some work outside of the church. It can also be concluded that Julian still lived at home during the time of her revelations since her mother and sister were with her during her most notorious experience

As a mystic, Julian fully believes she had these experiences not only for her own good, but for the knowledge of all Christians. That is why she wrote her book. Many times throughout her short volume, Julian mentions that she does not want to have eyes on her, but on God. She wants all Christian to know that what God tells her is also meant for their benefit. . Part of Julian's way of removing herself from the glory is to remove the personal pronouns from the longer edited second volume of Revelations of Divine Love. The best way to describe her experience is to say she had an actual, personal, experience with God. She also had actual dialog “with God”, and an experience with the Devil

Julian felt that God and Jesus were the greatest of all beings. She viewed worshiping and following God as the best, most fulfilling experience any person could have. She never felt that worship was some sort of rule she had to follow. At one point in her experience, Julian describes her extreme pain and how it didn’t matter, because she felt that suffering with Jesus was better than any physical relief without him. As a mystic, Julian experienced exactly what every other mystic of her time wanted, a true personal oneness with the one true God.

Because Julian felt this way about God and Jesus, she had a desire to understand what Jesus went through; so she asked for it. She prayed for God to show her, to allow her to experience Christ’s Passion, the three wounds of the crucifixion, and for extreme sickness. Then, in the winter of her thirtieth year Julian was overcome with a sickness like no other. This was a sickness that was sure to kill her. Her family called the priest to be with her during her final hours. Nobody knew that this was a sickness Julian prayed for, an answer from Jesus.

Julian's sickness came on suddenly and was the start of her visions. For two days she suffered. On the second night she believed she was sure to die by morning. At once her lower body was paralyzed. The curator was called and Julian was placed in bed. Julian mentions at this time that she did not want to die just yet for fear of leaving behind without doing all the good she could have done for God. Julian kept her gaze upward, toward heaven, where she was going. She only agreed to look down if she had a crucifix to gaze and she kept her gaze on the crucifix. Then her second prayer was answered, she had repeated visions of Christ over the next week.

“Suddenly I saw red blood trickle down from under the garland-hot, fresh, plentiful, and lifelike- just as I thought it would have done when the garland of thorns was thrust on his blessed head. So both God and man together suffered for me. I understood clearly and with certainty that it was he who showed it to me, without intermediary; and I said, “Benedicite Dominus!” I spoke reverently, in a strong voice, and was astonished by the wonderful and marvelous fact of his being so friendly with a sinful creature living in this wretched flesh”

Julian's visions came and went, taking her on an entire journey with Jesus. Her body felt his body as he dried out from loss of blood and lack of water. She took every raspy breath with Jesus and yearned for every drop of water. She was able to look into the eyes of Mary Magdalene. Amazing enough as that was, she was even able to feel the love he had for her. Jesus endured the pain, and Julian endured the pain, but if the excruciating pain became too much for Julian to handle, Jesus was able to relieve her.

“After this our lord revealed an exalted spiritual joy which filled my soul with an abiding security; I was greatly reassured, and free of fear. This feeling was so blissful and pleasing that I was at peace, at ease and at rest. Nothing on earth could have grieved me-but this joy only lasted for a short while. Then I was overcome and left alone in such sad weariness at myself and irksomeness at my life that I scarcely had patience to live. I felt neither ease nor comfort-only hope, faith, and charity, and of these in truth but little.

However, God soon restored both comfort and rest to my soul, a joyous gladness and security so powerful that no fear or sorrow, no recurred, and then the joy and the gladness, and then the one and then the other, I suppose about twenty times. In joy I might have said, with Paul, “Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ”; and in pain I might have said, with Peter, “Lord save me, I perish.”
This vision's purpose was to teach me the need for each soul to feel this way: sometimes to be in comfort, and other times to fail and be left alone. God wants us to now that he keeps us safe both in well and in woe, and loves us as much in the hard times as the good. For the profit of his soul, a man is sometimes left to himself, although sin is not the cause/; during this time I was not left alone because I had sinned, nor had I done anything to merit the joy. God freely gives pleasure when he chooses, and other times he leaves us in pain. Both are done for love.”

Julian, as many do, understood exactly what Jesus went through. She understood it in the way a female understands what it is like to be male. As much as she may have understood it, she wanted to know what it was like, in the same way a female would only be able to know what it is like to be male, she would have to physically experience it herself. Julian said she wanted to be there with Mary Magdalene to be able to see her face. Julian wanted to feel the pain in Jesus' body and know the extreme love in his heart. Julian was able to understand truly how it feels to be Jesus and how he’s able to do everything for us out of love.
Jesus also spoke with Julian,

“Thus our good lord answered all my questions and doubts, comforting me with these words: “I may make all things well, I can make all things well, I can make all things well, I shall make all things well; and you shall see yourself that all shall be well.” Where he says I may, I understand the father; where he says I can, I understand the son; where he says I will, I understand the holy ghost; where he says I shall, I understand the unity of the holy trinity, three persons in one truth; and where he says you shall see yourself, I understand the uniting in the uniting in the blessed trinity of all mankind who shall be saved.
With these five phrases, God will be enclosed in rest and in peace, and thus will the spiritual thirst of Christ come to an end. His ghostly thirst- his love longing- shall last until judgment day, for we who shall be saved, and who shall be Christ's joy and bliss, will remain here until that time. His thirst, the failure of his bliss, is that he does not have us in him, as wholly as he shall then have. All this was revealed in the showing of compassion, which shall cease at doomsday; until the he feels pity and compassion for us, and he longs for us. But his wisdom and his love do not suffer the end to come until best time.
And in these words, I may take all things well, I understand the great comfort of all his works that are yet to come.”

Julian understood the Trinity far better than most anybody. She understood God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, He has all the power, and he wants to use it all for us.

Julian asked God to show her things, not out of desire for proof, but out of faith. She knew he had the power to show her anything and do anything he desired. All Julian needed was for her desire and his will to be the same. Julian held strong to her faith. God was happy and Julian survived her illness, probably coming out much better off spiritually, than any other person of her day. She had strong faith each day until her death, which didn’t come until some forty-three years later in 1416; it was her seventy-fourth year.

Julian of Norwich surprisingly has taught me a lot about my own faith. My beliefs can most closely be related to those of a Baptist-Christian, Baptists are known for their extremely deep levels of faith and devotion to God. Keeping that in mind, I believe that this mystic most likely had more faith in Jesus Christ than I do, which astonishes me. How I wish I could experience Jesus Christ's crucifixion personally. It would be a pain beyond anything I can imagine, but it would be worth it if I could just feel the pure love in his heart. Julian was privileged, and she knew it. That is why she documented her experiences in such detail, in order to bless the lives of other Christians and share her faith.

Julian mentioned not speaking of her visions to anyone and not “confessing” them to a priest because she was certain no pastor would believe her. She was right. Even though it has been almost 600 years since Julian had these mystical experiences, people today are still very skeptical of mystics. After I enrolled in this class, even I was advised to “be careful with those mystics”, but the impression I get of Julian is that she seems to be a “better Christian” than all of us. She had pure faith, and lived her life that way. Why are people so skeptical? Why are people afraid of her “visions”? What have I to fear of her? Jesus spoke directly to her so she could speak to Christians like me. Her experience was so personal that it could almost be titled “The Gospel According to Julian.” The fact that she wanted to share it with me touches my heart.

I also find that I am jealous of Julian in the same way that I am jealous of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. In the game of telephone, , one person starts (Jesus) and they tell a story to the person sitting next to them (Julian) and then Julian has turned and told me. I then turn to the person next to me (You) and pass on the message. The game goes on until the last person re-tells the story, usually a totally different story is told at the end because human errors. So, I can experience Jesus Christ through Luke from Jesus, or through Mark from Jesus, but these five had a personal one on one experience with Jesus Christ, and that I am jealous of. Unfortunately for myself, I lack that extreme faith, and it is hard to say if I ever will have faith enough to hear a story directly from Jesus in this lifetime.

I hope that through my paper you have a new respect for mystics, mysticism, and Julian of Norwich herself. I have shared with you her history, her literature, and how she makes me feel. Julian puts an itch in my heart to know how I can reach the Lord on a more personal level, and it is my desire for you to desire the same.



Works Cited
Julian, of Norwich, b. 1343. Revelations of Divine love, translated from British Library Additional MS 37790 ; with introduction, interpretive essay, and bibliography [by] Frances Beer.